Oxygen Generation System

Abstract

To generate oxygen using water containing more impurities than pure water while suppressing the effects of impurities. [Solution] The oxygen generation system S has a cooling water passage 90 through which cooling water flows for cooling the engine 30, a first heat generator 41 that generates heat by exchanging heat with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90, a generation unit 44 that generates water vapor from water using the heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and generates distilled water by cooling the water vapor, and an electrolysis unit 10 that electrolyzes the distilled water generated by the generation unit 44 to generate hydrogen and oxygen.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oxygen generating system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a system that supplies ozone to an exhaust passage downstream of an engine or to the engine. The exhaust purification system described in Patent Document 1 generates ozone from oxygen produced by electrolyzing water, and supplies the ozone to the exhaust passage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-38720 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to prevent the corrosion of electrodes and the generation of gases caused by impurities contained in the water, it is desirable to use pure water with a very small amount of impurities as the water used to generate oxygen. However, there are problems in that pure water is more expensive and more difficult to obtain than water with a high impurity content, such as tap water.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and has an object to generate oxygen using water that has more impurities than pure water, while suppressing the effects of impurities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An oxygen generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling water passage through which cooling water flows for cooling a driving source, a first heat generator that generates heat by exchanging heat with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage, a generation unit that generates water vapor from water using the heat generated by the first heat generator and generates distilled water by cooling the water vapor, and an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes the distilled water generated by the generation unit to generate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0007] The cooling water passage may connect the driving source and the first heat generator, and may circulate cooling water between the driving source and the first heat generator.

[0008] The cooling water passage may include a first branch flow path that branches off from the downstream side of the driving source in the cooling water passage and merges with the upstream side of the driving source in the cooling water passage, and a first switching valve that switches whether or not cooling water is to be directed from the cooling water passage to the first branch flow path, and the first heat generator may exchange heat with the cooling water in the first branch flow path.

[0009] The cooling system may further include a thermal control unit that switches the first switching valve so as to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage to the first branch passage when the temperature of the first heat generator is lower than a threshold value.

[0010] The cooling water passage may have a second branch flow path that branches off from the downstream side of the driving source and joins the cooling water passage at the upstream side of the driving source, and a second switching valve that switches whether or not to direct cooling water from the cooling water passage to the second branch flow path, and the first heat generator may exchange heat with the cooling water that has exchanged heat with exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust flow path of the driving source in the second branch flow path.

[0011] The cooling system may further include a thermal control unit that switches the second switching valve so as to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage to the second branch passage when the temperature of the first heat generator is lower than a threshold value.

[0012] The power generating device may include a second heat generator that generates heat when supplied with power, a power storage device that supplies power to the second heat generator, and a heat control unit that causes the power storage device to supply power to the second heat generator when the temperature of the first heat generator is below a threshold value and the power storage amount of the power storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined power storage amount, and the generation unit may generate water vapor from water using the heat generated by the first heat generator and the second heat generator.

[0013] The water generating unit may have a tank for storing water for generating water vapor, and the generating unit may drain the water from the tank when a concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the tank is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence of impurities and generate oxygen using water having more impurities than pure water. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an oxygen generation system S according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device 46. [Diagram 3] 11 is a diagram for explaining an operation for switching whether or not the cooling water is directed to the first heat generator 41. FIG. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining an operation of exchanging heat between cooling water and exhaust gas; [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence in an oxygen generation system S according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] <Outline of Oxygen Generation System S> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of an oxygen generating system S according to this embodiment. The oxygen generating system S shown in FIG. 1 includes an electrolysis unit 10, an ozone generating unit 20, an ozone supply unit 21, a hydrogen supply unit 22, an engine 30, a radiator 31, a power storage device 32, an alarm device 33, and a distilled water generating device 40. The oxygen generating system S is a system that generates oxygen for generating ozone to be supplied to the engine 30 from water containing more impurities than pure water. The water containing more impurities than pure water is, for example, tap water. As an example, the impurities are minerals such as calcium and magnesium, chlorine used in disinfecting water, and aluminum used in the water purification process. The oxygen generating system S is installed in, for example, a vehicle, a ship, or a power plant.

[0017] The electrolysis unit 10 includes a power source 11, a U-tube 14, and a distilled water tank 15. The electrolysis unit 10 is a device that electrolyzes distilled water generated by a generation unit 44 included in the distilled water generating device 40 to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The generation unit 44 will be described in detail later. The power source 11 applies a voltage between the cathode 12 and the anode 13 of the power source 11 inserted into the U-tube 14 using power supplied from a battery, a solar power generation system, or a regenerative energy system. The U-tube 14 is an electrolytic cell for electrolyzing distilled water supplied from the distilled water tank 15 into oxygen and hydrogen. In the U-tube 14, the power source 11 applies a voltage between the cathode 12 and the anode 13, so that hydrogen is generated from the cathode 12 and oxygen is generated from the anode 13. The distilled water tank 15 is a tank that stores the distilled water generated by the distilled water generating device 40, and includes a remaining amount sensor 151. The remaining amount sensor 151 is a sensor for detecting the distance (height) between the bottom surface of the distilled water tank 15 and the liquid surface of the distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15.

[0018] The ozone generation unit 20 generates ozone from the oxygen generated by the electrolysis unit 10. The ozone generation unit 20 generates ozone from oxygen, for example, by irradiating the oxygen obtained from the anode unit 142 of the U-shaped tube 14 via the first pipeline 81 with ultraviolet light. The ozone supply unit 21 obtains the ozone generated by the ozone generation unit 20 via the second pipeline 82 and supplies it to the intake passage 80. The hydrogen supply unit 22 supplies hydrogen obtained from the cathode unit 141 of the U-shaped tube 14 via the third pipeline 83 to the intake passage 80.

[0019] The engine 30 is an internal combustion engine that generates power by burning and expanding a mixture of fuel and intake air. The fuel is, for example, gasoline, diesel, or natural gas. The engine 30 takes in air containing ozone and hydrogen that is supplied to the intake passage 80 through the intake passage 80, thereby increasing the combustibility of the fuel and improving the fuel efficiency of the fuel.

[0020] The radiator 31 is provided downstream of the engine 30 and the distilled water production device 40 in the circulation direction D1 of the cooling water passage 90 through which the cooling water for cooling the engine 30 flows, and cools the cooling water that has passed through the engine 30. The radiator 31 is provided with, for example, a fan for blowing in wind, and cools the cooling water by exchanging heat between the blown wind and the cooling water.

[0021] The cooling water passage 90 connects the engine 30 and the first heat generator 41 of the distilled water production device 40, and is a water passage that circulates the cooling water between the engine 30 and the first heat generator 41. The cooling water flows in the cooling water passage 90 in the circulation direction D1, so that the cooling water heated by the engine 30 is cooled by heat exchange with the first heat generator 41, and then further cooled by heat exchange with the wind flowing into the radiator 31. By arranging the cooling water passage 90 in this manner, the oxygen production system S can effectively utilize the heat of the cooling water heated by the engine 30 in the first heat generator 41 before the cooling water exchanges heat with the wind flowing into the radiator 31. Details of the first heat generator 41 will be described later.

[0022] The power storage device 32 is, for example, a battery. The power storage device 32 supplies power to a second heat generator 42 included in the distilled water production device 40. The second heat generator 42 will be described in detail later. The notification device 33 is a device for notifying an operator of a vehicle, ship, or power plant in which the oxygen production system S is installed of the state of the oxygen production system S. The notification device 33 notifies the operator of the state by, for example, displaying an image showing the state of the oxygen production system S on a display (not shown) or emitting a sound showing the state from a speaker (not shown).

[0023] The distilled water generating device 40 includes a first heat generator 41, a second heat generator 42, a water tank 43, a generating section 44, a drain tank 45, and a control device 46. The first heat generator 41 is a device that generates heat by exchanging heat with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90. The first heat generator 41 is provided with a temperature sensor 411 for measuring the temperature of the first heat generator 41. The second heat generator 42 is a device that generates heat by receiving power from the power storage device 32. The water tank 43 is a tank that stores water such as tap water that contains more impurities than pure water and is supplied from outside the oxygen generating system S, and includes a remaining amount sensor 431. The remaining amount sensor 431 is a sensor for detecting the distance between the bottom surface of the water tank 43 and the liquid level of the water contained in the water tank 43.

[0024] The generating unit 44 has a first storage tank 441, a second storage tank 442, a cooling unit 443, and an impurity sensor 444. The generating unit 44 is a device that generates distilled water from water supplied from the water tank 43 and supplies the distilled water tank 15. The generating unit 44 generates water vapor from water using heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42, for example, and generates distilled water by cooling the water vapor.

[0025] The first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 are tanks that store water for generating water vapor, supplied from the water tank 43. The first storage tank 441 has a remaining amount sensor 445, and the second storage tank 442 has a remaining amount sensor 446. The remaining amount sensor 445 is a sensor for detecting the distance between the bottom surface of the first storage tank 441 and the liquid level of the water stored in the first storage tank 441. The remaining amount sensor 446 is a sensor for detecting the distance between the bottom surface of the second storage tank 442 and the liquid level of the water stored in the second storage tank 442.

[0026] The amount of water in each of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 is adjusted so as to store a predetermined amount or more of water. The predetermined amount is determined for each of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 according to the amount of water that can be stored. For example, when the remaining amount of water based on the remaining amount sensor 445 is less than the predetermined amount, the first storage tank 441 is supplied with water from the water tank 43 via the first pump 71 provided in the fourth pipe 84. Similarly, when the remaining amount of water based on the remaining amount sensor 446 is less than the predetermined amount, the second storage tank 442 is supplied with water from the water tank 43 via the first pump 71 provided in the fourth pipe 84.

[0027] In the first storage tank 441, the heat generated by the first heat generator 41 heats the water supplied from the water tank 43, so that the water turns into steam. In the second storage tank 442, the heat generated by the second heat generator 42 heats the water supplied from the water tank 43, so that the water turns into steam. The first storage tank 441 may increase its temperature by exchanging heat with the cooling water in the cooling water passage 90, and may change the water into steam by exchanging heat with the water supplied from the water tank 43. That is, the first storage tank 441 may be provided so that the heat of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90 heats the water supplied from the water tank 43 without passing through the first heat generator 41. In this case, the temperature sensor 411 may be a sensor for detecting the temperature of the water stored in the first storage tank 441.

[0028] The water vapor generated in each of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 is supplied to the cooling section 443 via the fifth pipeline 85. The second pump 72 is provided in the fifth pipeline 85, and the water vapor generated in each of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 is supplied to the cooling section 443 by the second pump 72 transporting the water vapor.

[0029] The cooling unit 443 is a device for generating distilled water by cooling water vapor generated in at least one of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442. The cooling unit 443 generates distilled water by cooling water vapor generated and remaining in at least one of the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442, for example, to a temperature not exceeding the outside air temperature (so-called room temperature). The cooling unit 443 supplies the generated distilled water to the distilled water tank 15.

[0030] As described above, the distilled water production device 40 produces distilled water and supplies it to the distilled water tank 15, so that the electrolysis unit 10 can produce hydrogen and oxygen by electrolyzing the distilled water that contains fewer impurities than the water stored in the water tank 43. As a result, corrosion of the cathode 12 and the anode 13 and generation of gas due to impurities can be suppressed, and the effort required for the operator of the oxygen generation system S to prepare pure water can be reduced.

[0031] The impurity sensor 444 is a sensor for measuring the concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the first storage tank 441. The drain tank 45 is a drain tank for storing the water drained from the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442. The control device 46 executes processing for controlling the amount of heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42 and the amount of water stored in the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442. The control device 46 may have a housing including electronic components, or may be a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The configuration and operation of the control device 46 will now be described in detail.

[0032] <Configuration of the control device 46> 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 46. The control device 46 has a storage unit 47 and a control unit 48. The control unit 48 has an acquisition unit 481, a heat control unit 482, and a notification unit 483.

[0033] The storage unit 47 has a storage medium such as a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 47 stores a program executed by the control unit 48. The storage unit 47 stores various information for controlling the amount of heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42 and the amount of water stored in the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442.

[0034] The control unit 48 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 48 executes a program stored in the storage unit 47 to function as an acquisition unit 481, a heat control unit 482, and a notification unit 483. The control unit 48 may be configured with one processor, or may be configured with multiple processors or a combination of one or more processors and an electronic circuit. The configuration of each unit realized by the control unit 48 will be described below.

[0035] The acquisition unit 481 acquires the remaining amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15, the temperature of the first heat generator 41, the concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the first storage tank 441, and the remaining amount of electricity stored in the power storage device 32. The acquisition unit 481 acquires the distance (height) between the bottom surface of the distilled water tank 15 and the liquid level of the distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15 detected by the remaining amount sensor 151, and acquires the remaining amount of the distilled water tank 15 by identifying the remaining amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15 based on the distance. The acquisition unit 481 acquires, for example, the temperature of the first heat generator 41 measured by the temperature sensor 411, the concentration of impurities measured by the impurity sensor 444, and the remaining amount of electricity of the power storage device 32 acquired from the power storage device 32.

[0036] The acquisition unit 481 may acquire the distance between the bottom surface of the first storage tank 441 and the liquid level of the water stored in the first storage tank 441, detected by the remaining amount sensor 445, and specify the remaining amount of water stored in the first storage tank 441 based on the distance. The acquisition unit 481 may acquire the distance between the bottom surface of the second storage tank 442 and the liquid level of the water stored in the second storage tank 442, detected by the remaining amount sensor 446, and specify the remaining amount of water stored in the second storage tank 442 based on the distance.

[0037] The acquisition unit 481 may acquire the distance between the bottom surface of the water tank 43 and the liquid level of the water contained in the water tank 43, detected by the remaining amount sensor 431, and identify the remaining amount of water contained in the water tank 43 based on the distance. The acquisition unit 481 acquires the above-mentioned various information at a predetermined cycle, for example. The predetermined cycle is a fixed value of less than one second, for example, and is stored in the storage unit 47.

[0038] The heat control unit 482 controls the amount of heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42 and the amount of water contained in the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442, thereby causing the cooling unit 443 to generate distilled water. For example, when the amount of water contained in the first storage tank 441 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a predetermined amount, the heat control unit 482 drives the first pump 71 to supply water from the water tank 43 to the first storage tank 441. For example, when the amount of water contained in the second storage tank 442 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a predetermined amount, the heat control unit 482 drives the first pump 71 to supply water from the water tank 43 to the second storage tank 442. The predetermined amount is, for example, 20% of the amount of water that the first storage tank 441 or the second storage tank 442 can contain, and is stored in the storage unit 47.

[0039] The heat control unit 482 supplies power from the power storage device 32 to the second heat generator 42, for example, when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is below a threshold value and the amount of power stored in the power storage device 32 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of power. The threshold value is a temperature at which the water stored in the first storage tank 441 changes to water vapor, and is, for example, 100 degrees. The predetermined amount of power is an amount of power for changing a predetermined amount (20%) of the amount of water that the second storage tank 442 can store into water vapor. By operating the heat control unit 482 in this manner, the distilled water generating device 40 can generate distilled water by using both the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42 when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 drops. As a result, the distilled water generating device 40 can generate distilled water by using the electricity stored in the battery, for example, even when the temperature of the coolant is low, such as when the engine 30 is started.

[0040] On the other hand, when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is equal to or higher than the threshold value or the amount of stored power in the power storage device 32 is less than the predetermined amount of stored power, the heat control unit 482 does not supply power from the power storage device 32 to the second heat generator 42. That is, the heat control unit 482 does not use the first heat generator 41 and the second heat generator 42 in combination, but generates distilled water using only the first heat generator 41. By operating the heat control unit 482 in this manner, the distilled water production device 40 can generate distilled water without using unnecessary power.

[0041] Incidentally, in the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442, impurities remain when distilled water is produced, and the greater the amount of impurities produced, the higher the impurity concentration becomes. Therefore, the heat control unit 482 causes the generation unit 44 to drain water from the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 when the concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the first storage tank 441 is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration. The predetermined concentration is a concentration at which it is considered that there is a high probability that gas will be generated due to impurities, and is stored in the memory unit 47.

[0042] For example, when the concentration of impurities acquired by the acquisition unit 481 from the impurity sensor 444 is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration, the heat control unit 482 causes the generation unit 44 to drain water from the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 to the drain tank 45. By the heat control unit 482 operating in this manner, the distilled water production device 40 can suppress the concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 to less than a predetermined concentration. As a result, the generation of gas due to impurities inside the first storage tank 441 and the second storage tank 442 can be suppressed, and the distilled water production device 40 can safely generate distilled water.

[0043] The notification unit 483 notifies the notification device 33 of status information indicating the status of the oxygen generation system S, thereby causing the notification device 33 to notify an operator of the vehicle, ship, or power plant in which the oxygen generation system S is installed of the status of the oxygen generation system S. The notification unit 483 acquires at least one of the remaining amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15, the remaining amount of water stored in the water tank 43, the remaining amount of water stored in the first storage tank 441, and the remaining amount of water stored in the second storage tank 442 from the acquisition unit 481. The notification unit 483 notifies the notification device 33 of the acquired status information indicating the remaining amount, thereby causing the notification device 33 to display an image indicating the remaining amount.

[0044] When the remaining amount of water stored in the water tank 43 is less than a predetermined first remaining amount (e.g., 20%), the notification unit 483 may cause the notification device 33 to emit a first sound to prompt the operator to add water to the water tank 43. By operating in this manner, the notification unit 483 can notify the operator of the vehicle, ship, or power plant in which the oxygen generation system S is installed that there is a possibility of a shortage of water for generating distilled water.

[0045] For example, the notification unit 483 acquires information indicating whether the heat control unit 482 is causing the power storage device 32 to supply power to the second heat generator 42 from the heat control unit 482. When the notification unit 483 determines that the power storage device 32 is supplying power to the second heat generator 42, it causes the notification unit 33 to display an image indicating that the distilled water production device 40 is producing distilled water using the second heat generator 42.

[0046] When the notification unit 483 determines that the amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first amount (e.g., 80%) and that the distilled water generating device 40 is generating distilled water, the notification unit 483 may cause the notification device 33 to emit a second sound indicating a failure of the oxygen generation system S. When the notification unit 483 determines that the amount of water stored in the storage tank 441 is less than a predetermined second amount (e.g., 20%) and that the distilled water generating device 40 is generating distilled water, the notification unit 483 may cause the notification device 33 to emit a third sound indicating a failure of the oxygen generation system S. By operating as described above, the notification unit 483 can notify an operator of a vehicle, ship, or power plant in which the oxygen generation system S is installed of a state in which the oxygen generation system S is generating distilled water or an abnormality in the oxygen generation system S.

[0047] <First Modification> In the above description, the cooling water passage 90 connects the engine 30, the first heat generator 41, and the radiator 31, and the cooling water circulates among the engine 30, the first heat generator 41, and the radiator 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. The oxygen generation system S may switch whether or not to direct the cooling water to the first heat generator 41.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation of switching whether or not the cooling water is directed to the first heat generator 41. The oxygen generation system S shown in FIG. 3 is different from the oxygen generation system S shown in FIG. 1 in that it has a first branch flow path 91 and a first switching valve 92, and that the cooling water path 90 circulates the cooling water between the engine 30 and the radiator 31 without connecting the first heat generator 41, but is the same in other respects. The first branch flow path 91 is a flow path that branches off from the downstream side of the engine 30 in the cooling water path 90 and merges with the upstream side of the engine 30 in the cooling water path 90. The first switching valve 92 is a switching valve that switches whether or not the cooling water is directed from the cooling water path 90 to the first branch flow path 91. As shown in FIG. 3, the first heat generator 41 exchanges heat with the cooling water in the first branch flow path 91. By configuring the oxygen generation system S in this way, the oxygen generation system S can control whether or not to generate distilled water using the first heat generator 41.

[0049] 3, for example, when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is below a threshold value, the heat control unit 482 switches the first switching valve 92 to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch flow passage 91. For example, when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 from the temperature sensor 411 is below a threshold value, the heat control unit 482 switches the first switching valve 92 to direct the cooling water in the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch flow passage 91. By the heat control unit 482 operating in this manner, the oxygen generation system S can provide an appropriate amount of heat to the first heat generator 41.

[0050] When the remaining amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a predetermined remaining amount, the heat control unit 482 may switch the first switching valve 92 so as to direct the cooling water from the cooling water channel 90 to the first branch flow path 91. The predetermined remaining amount is, for example, 80% of the amount of distilled water that the distilled water tank 15 can store, and is stored in the memory unit 47. By operating the heat control unit 482 in this manner, the distilled water generating device 40 can prevent a state in which the distilled water tank 15 is unable to store the generated distilled water, and can supply the generated distilled water at a timing when the distilled water tank 15 can store it.

[0051] For example, the notification unit 483 acquires information indicating a state in which the heat control unit 482 has switched the first switching valve 92 from the heat control unit 482, and specifies whether or not the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90 is flowing through the first branch flow path 91. When the notification unit 483 specifies that the cooling water is flowing through the first branch flow path 91, it causes the notification device 33 to display an image indicating that the distilled water production device 40 is producing distilled water.

[0052] <Second Modification> In the above description, the coolant that has exchanged heat with the engine 30 exchanges heat with the first heat generator 41, but the present invention is not limited to this. The oxygen generation system S may exchange heat between the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86 and the coolant, in addition to the heat exchange between the engine 30 and the coolant.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of exchanging heat between the cooling water and the exhaust gas. The oxygen generating system S shown in FIG. 4 is different from the oxygen generating system S shown in FIG. 3 in that it has a second branch passage 93, a second switching valve 94, and a heat exchanger 34, but is the same in other respects. The second branch passage 93 is a passage that branches off from the downstream side of the engine 30 in the cooling water passage 90 and joins the upstream side of the engine 30 in the cooling water passage 90. The second switching valve 94 is a switching valve that switches whether or not the cooling water is directed from the cooling water passage 90 to the second branch passage 93. The heat exchanger 34 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90 and the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86.

[0054] 4, when the heat control unit 482 switches the second switching valve 94 so as to direct the cooling water to the second branch passage 93, the first heat generator 41 exchanges heat with the cooling water that has exchanged heat with the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86 of the engine 30 in the second branch passage 93. By configuring the oxygen generation system S in this way, the oxygen generation system S can further heat the first heat generator 41. Furthermore, when combusting particulates collected by a purification device (not shown) provided in the exhaust passage 86, the heat control unit 482 can prevent the cooling water from being directed to the second branch passage 93, so that the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86 can be increased to make it easier to combust the particulates.

[0055] Furthermore, the heat control unit 482 may switch the second switching valve 94 to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the second branch passage 93 when the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is below the threshold value. By operating the heat control unit 482 in this manner, the oxygen generation system S can further provide the first heat generator 41 with the heat of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86 when the amount of heat provided to the first heat generator 41 by the cooling water that has exchanged heat with the engine 30 is insufficient. As a result, the distilled water production device 40 can reduce the probability that the amount of heat provided to the first heat generator 41 is insufficient, making it easier to produce distilled water.

[0056] For example, the notification unit 483 acquires information indicating a state in which the heat control unit 482 has switched the second switching valve 94 from the heat control unit 482, and specifies whether or not the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90 is flowing through the second branch passage 93. When the notification unit 483 specifies that the cooling water is flowing through the second branch passage 93, it causes the notification device 33 to display an image indicating that the distilled water production device 40 is producing distilled water by utilizing the heat of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 86.

[0057] <Processing sequence in oxygen generation system S> 5 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence in the oxygen generation system S according to the second modified example. The processing sequence shown in FIG. 5 is a sequence showing a process of making the distilled water production device 40 produce distilled water in the oxygen generation system S shown in FIG.

[0058] The heat control unit 482 judges whether or not the remaining amount of distilled water stored in the distilled water tank 15 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a predetermined remaining amount (S11). If the remaining amount of distilled water is equal to or greater than the predetermined remaining amount (NO in S11), the heat control unit 482 repeats the process of S11. If the remaining amount of distilled water is less than the predetermined remaining amount (YES in S11), the heat control unit 482 judges whether or not the temperature of the first heat generator 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a threshold value (S12). If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is equal to or greater than the threshold value (NO in S12), the heat control unit 482 returns to the process of S11. If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is less than the threshold value (YES in S12), the heat control unit 482 switches the first switching valve 92 (S13) to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch passage 91.

[0059] After the heat control unit 482 directs the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch flow passage 91, the heat control unit 482 determines whether or not the temperature of the first heat generator 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a threshold value (S14). If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is equal to or greater than the threshold value (NO in S14), the oxygen generation system S ends the process and causes the distilled water production device 40 to produce distilled water in a state in which the cooling water is directed from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch flow passage 91. If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is less than the threshold value (YES in S14), the heat control unit 482 directs the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the second branch flow passage 93 by switching the second switching valve 94 (S15).

[0060] After the heat control unit 482 directs the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the second branch passage 93, the heat control unit 482 determines whether or not the temperature of the first heat generator 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 481 is less than a threshold value (S16). If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is equal to or greater than the threshold value (NO in S16), the oxygen generation system S ends the process and causes the distilled water production device 40 to produce distilled water in a state in which the cooling water is directed from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch passage 91 and the second branch passage 93. If the temperature of the first heat generator 41 is less than the threshold value (YES in S16), the heat control unit 482 determines whether or not the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage device 32 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of electricity (S17).

[0061] If the amount of electricity stored in the power storage device 32 is less than the predetermined amount (NO in S17), the oxygen generation system S ends the process and causes the distilled water production device 40 to produce distilled water while directing the cooling water from the cooling water passage 90 to the first branch flow path 91 and the second branch flow path 93. If the amount of electricity stored in the power storage device 32 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (YES in S17), the heat control unit 482 causes the power storage device 32 to supply power to the second heat generator 42 (S18), and causes the second heat generator 42 to generate heat, thereby causing the distilled water production device 40 to produce distilled water.

[0062] <Effects of the Oxygen Generation System S> As described above, the oxygen generation system S includes a cooling water passage 90 through which cooling water flows for cooling the engine 30, a first heat generator 41 that generates heat by exchanging heat with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 90, a generation unit 44 that generates water vapor from water using the heat generated by the first heat generator 41 and generates distilled water by cooling the water vapor, and an electrolysis unit 10 that electrolyzes the distilled water generated by the generation unit 44 to generate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0063] By configuring the oxygen generation system S in this way, oxygen can be generated using distilled water generated from water containing more impurities than pure water. As a result, by performing electrolysis using distilled water containing fewer impurities than tap water, it is possible to suppress corrosion of electrodes and generation of gas due to impurities. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent users from having to spend a lot of money and effort to obtain pure water.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination combines the effect of the original embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] S Oxygen Generation System 10 Electrolytic section 11 Power supply 12 Cathode 13 Anode 14 U-tube 141 Cathode 142 Anode 15 Distilled water tank 151 Remaining amount sensor 20 Ozone generation unit 21 Ozone supply unit 22 Hydrogen supply unit 30 Engine 31 Radiator 32 Energy storage device 33 Alarm device 34 Heat exchanger 40 Distilled water generator 41 First Heat Generator 411 Temperature Sensor 42 Second Heat Generator 43 Water Tank 431 Remaining amount sensor 44 Generation part 441 First Storage Tank 442 Second Storage Tank 443 Cooling section 444 Impurity Sensor 445 Remaining sensor 446 Remaining sensor 45 Drain tank 46 Control device 47 Memory section 48 Control Unit 481 Acquisition Department 482 Heat Control Unit 483 Information Department 71 First Pump 72 Second Pump 80 Intake passage 81 1st pipeline 82 2nd pipeline 83 3rd pipeline 84 4th pipeline 85 5th pipeline 86 Exhaust duct 90 Cooling Channel 91 First branch channel 92 First switching valve 93 Second branch flow channel 94 Second switching valve

Claims

1. a cooling water passage through which cooling water for cooling the driving source flows; a first heat generator that generates heat by heat exchange with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage; A generation unit that generates water vapor from water by the heat generated by the first heat generator and generates distilled water by cooling the water vapor; an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes the distilled water generated by the generation unit to generate hydrogen and oxygen; An oxygen generating system having:

2. the cooling water passage connects the driving source and the first heat generator and circulates cooling water between the driving source and the first heat generator; 10. The oxygen generating system of claim 1.

3. a first branch flow path that branches off from the cooling water passage at a downstream side of the driving source and joins the cooling water passage at an upstream side of the driving source; a first switching valve that switches whether or not the cooling water is directed from the cooling water passage to the first branch passage; having The first heat generator exchanges heat with the cooling water in the first branch flow path.

10. The oxygen generating system of claim 1.

4. a heat control unit that switches the first switching valve so as to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage to the first branch flow path when the temperature of the first heat generator is lower than a threshold value; 4. The oxygen generating system of claim 3.

5. a second branch flow path that branches off from the cooling water path at a downstream side of the driving source and joins the cooling water path at an upstream side of the driving source; a second switching valve that switches whether or not the cooling water is directed from the cooling water passage to the second branch passage; having The first heat generator exchanges heat with cooling water that has exchanged heat with exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust passage of the driving source in the second branch passage.

10. The oxygen generating system of claim 1.

6. a heat control unit that switches the second switching valve so as to direct the cooling water from the cooling water passage to the second branch passage when the temperature of the first heat generator is lower than a threshold value; 6. The oxygen generating system of claim 5.

7. a second heat generator configured to generate heat when supplied with power; a power storage device that supplies power to the second heat generator; a thermal control unit that causes the power storage device to supply power to the second heat generator when the temperature of the first heat generator is lower than a threshold value and the amount of stored power in the power storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of stored power, The generating unit generates water vapor from water by using heat generated by the first heat generator and the second heat generator.

10. The oxygen generating system of claim 1.

8. A tank for storing water for generating steam, The generation unit drains the water from the tank when a concentration of impurities contained in the water stored in the tank is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration.

10. The oxygen generating system of claim 1.

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